Friday, 29 June 2012

Here is it. The third
and final part of the 30@30, where to celebrate my 30th birthday I picked the 30 Singapore labels that
you should be exploring if you want to go on a discovery mission in the little
red dot.

The truth is – and this may surprise some people who don’t
follow the fashion scene - I found it hard to compile a list of just 30 because more labels
deserve the mention. It’s especially hard as this isn’t a competitive list,
there is no particular order and there are far more than 30 talented designers
plying their trade in Singapore.

In the end I included
those which I think have found their identity and although everyone still has a
room to grow, they’ve done so far so good. A lot more labels are doing great
job and maybe all they need is a little push to get them there! Maybe in the
next list 31@31 ;-)

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

It’s
my 30th birthday, and to help me officially mourn the passing
of my youth I thought I’d do some shameless promotion of my favourite Singaporean
labels and designers.

So
here it is. 30 at 30 if you like. My guide to 30 labels from Singapore that you
really should be paying attention to. I’ve added links to those who have
websites so you can find out more about each one.

I
hope this little birthday gift from me to you gives you as much joy as
discovering these talented designers has (and if anyone wants to buy me a birthday
gift, they can find some hints in there haha).

But as 30 is a bit much to digest in one
go (not to mention very tiring to post!!), I’ll split it into three posts over days. Here
is part one of three - in no particular order. Enjoy!

Thursday, 21 June 2012

For some reason the ‘style-inspiration’ community business always seemed a little full of model wannabe’s and sponsored bloggers trying to show off rather than inspire or educate.

So when I heard about Poshism, which kind of sells itself as a new ‘lookbook’, I was not sure what to expect. But I knew it wasn’t likely to be love at first site (geddit?).

Their launch event – which was basically a walkoff between a bunch of teenagers didn’t fill me with hope either – although perhaps that is showing my age a little bit more than I want to admit!

But I’ve been working in the lifestyle field for quite a long time and if I’ve learned anything, it’s not to judge too soon.

Zeikei (only 17!!), from the Poshism publicity team has the coolest quirky
style! Let's hope more people will get inspired by her awesome looks and stray
away from the over-done looks a la lookbook.nu (i.e. blazer x shorts combo)

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

One of the best things about artisanal jewellery is not only the individuality of the pieces but also the fact that you are keeping traditions alive. Ready-made, mass produced pieces can be pretty of course but they don’t have that charm. That special something which only a hand-made piece can bring to the table.

And it’s not just old aunties and uncles who are keeping this tradition alive. We’re lucky that there are still people like Carrie K flying the flag for a dying artform.

Another young buck (or deer) striving to prove Singapore does produce things is Ryn, a young artisan who hand-makes each piece of jewellery from scratch using traditional techniques and tools.

Breaking away from the conventional styles, Ryn’s works under her label ‘My Vintage Jewel Box’ have an organic-vintage touch - hewn from raw quality materials like silver, gold and natural gemstones, and heavily influenced by nature and vintage styles.

Friday, 8 June 2012

If you’ve ever shopped online then you probably know how much of a bittersweet experience it can be.

Unlike the real thing, there is no instant pleasure when you click the button or the thrill of browsing and luxuriating in the touch of a beautiful fabric.

But when your purchases are on the way, nothing beats the anticipation of waiting for that box to arrive and opening that package to see and feel it for the first time. It has that Christmassy feeling all over.

And even though e-commerce sites selling Asian designers are springing up faster than pop-up shops these days, most of them are still operating under more or less the same concept. However the newest kid in town tries to make it as interactive an experience as possible, allowing you to watch catwalk shows live and pre-order the pieces you like straight after they showed on the runway.

Future Fashion Now is making it possible to pre-order pieces from
emerging designers like MAE PANG's latest collection

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

If the national dress in Singapore is hotpants and t-shirt, Beirut’s is a ball gown!

It’s a nation where one popular saying is ‘borrow money to dress up’, seeing someone dressed up to the nines just to cross the road to the grocery shop is not an uncommon sight. In some places you have to see it to believe your eyes!

It’s no surprise that there are dozens of designers specializing in evening wear and glamorous dresses. From Elie Saab, to Rabih Kayrouz and Georges Chakra.

While some designers go seriously OTT and bling it like there is no tomorrow, others, namely the new generation, have stuck to a much more modern and stylish approach to glamour – understated elegance.

The perfect example of such designers and probably the forerunners for such style are Georges Azzi and Assaad Osta, whose label Azzi & Osta is gaining popularity and changing people’s views on what is glamorous in Beirut.